1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a facsimile apparatus with telephone system and a receiving method of a facsimile apparatus providing an automatic call recording mode.
2. Prior Art
Certain facsimile apparatus are provided with two telephone terminals for connection of a telephone set (TEL 1) only for facsimile and an external telephone set or automatic call recording telephone set (TEL 2).
Operations of such facsimile apparatus will be explained hereunder. Namely, it is decided whether or not a ringing signal of 16 Hz has been received from an exchange through the telephone line. Next, the number of times the ringing signals are received is counted. Then it is decided whether the handset of TEL 1 has been lifted whether a call has been terminated to the telephone set TEL 2 (which has the automatic call recording mode). Two or six times of ringing of the bell by the ringing signal means the call has been terminated to the TEL 2 having the automatic call recording mode.
If the ringing of bells is counted up to seven times, and the handset of TEL 1 has not been lifted and the call has not been terminated to TEL 2 having the automatic call recording mode, then the facsimile reception process is executed.
Meanwhile, when the handset of TEL 1 has been lifted or the call has been terminated to TEL 2 having the automatic call recording mode, it is decided whether or not a CNG signal has been transmitted or whether a silent condition is continued for a predetermined period. If the CNG signal has been transmitted, then a distant party executes the facsimile reception process by deciding the automatic transmission in the facsimile mode. On the other hand, if the silent condition is continued for the predetermined period, then a distant party executes the facsimile reception process by deciding the manual transmission in the facsimile mode.
However, if a distant party has originated a call and the TEL 2 having the automatic call recording mode is recording a message, a silent period may sometimes occur for the predetermined period because, for example, the distant party may stop transmission of the message. In this case, the conventional apparatus usually changes the operation mode to the facsimile reception mode by detecting such silent condition for the predetermined period.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide, considering such background, a facsimile apparatus with a telephone system which eliminates such problem.
In a facsimile apparatus providing an automatic call recording mode as explained above, the manual reception mode realizes reception of call terminated only by telephone system. For the termination of call, a called party is capable of making conversation with a calling party through the telephone system. In a case where the calling party requests the transmission of facsimile data during the conversation, the facsimile apparatus may be changed to the facsimile reception mode using this manual reception mode. When the facsimile signal is terminated, in place of a call, it can be detected from the sound heard from the handset being taken off hook. Therefore, facsimile reception can be realized by switching the operation mode to the facsimile reception mode with an operating button switch.
In the facsimile automatic reception mode, the operation mode is automatically switched to the facsimile reception mode after the bell rings for predetermined number of times, for example, five times. When the handset is taken off hook while ringing of bell of five times, the operation mode is transferred to the telephone conversation mode. Therefore, if the facsimile signal is terminated when-the handset is taken off hook, the facsimile apparatus is changed to the facsimile reception mode for reception-of facsimile signal.
On the other hand, when the facsimile apparatus is set to the automatic call recording mode, if the handset is not taken off hook within a predetermined number of rings, for example, three rings, then the apparatus is transferred to the automatic call recording mode and a message for recording conversation is transmitted and the message from the calling party is recorded. In the case of automatic call recording mode, if a facsimile signal is received by the automatic facsimile transmission mode, facsimile reception is disabled.
Therefore, a facsimile apparatus, which provides the function of automatically switching the automatic call recording mode and the facsimile reception mode, wherein the automatic call recording mode is transferred to the facsimile reception when a facsimile signal is received through detection of a CNG signal, has been developed.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the automatic call recording/automatic facsimile reception switching mode as explained above. When a call is received, the flowchart starts. In the step S111, the number of times of ringing of bell is counted. When the ringing of the bell is counted three times, the apparatus is connected to the line in the step S112, considering that the apparatus is internally in the off-hook condition. Thereafter, in the step S113, the CNG signal is detected. If a call is received, then the CNG signal will not be detected. Therefore, operation transfers to the step S114 and the transmission of message for recording conversation and the ordinary automatic recording of conversation are carried out. Upon completion of the transmission and recording, the flowchart comes to the end. In the step S113, when if a CNG signal is detected, then operation transfers to the step S115 and the facsimile reception procedures are executed.
When the apparatus is set to the automatic call recording mode, if a call is received while a person is at home, then, the operation transfers to the step S117 from the step S116 in a case where the handset is taken off hook within three rings of the bell, thereby entering the telephone conversation mode. It is now possible to make conversation as explained above. In the case of facsimile transmission, the apparatus is switched to the facsimile reception mode with an operating button for facsimile reception.
Since the automatic call recording/automatic facsimile reception switching function does not become effective if a call is not received to the automatic call recording telephone set, a call cannot be received in some cases to the automatic call recording telephone set in the step S112 because such telephone set is defective and the handset cannot be set to the off-hook condition. In this case, a problem arises in that if a facsimile signal is received, reception is disabled.
The present invention has been proposed to solve such problem and it is therefore another object of the present invention to provide a facsimile reception method which ensures facsimile reception even if a fault occurs in the automatic call recording telephone system.